Bio
Ioan Igna
Born: 1940-06-04
Intl. since: 1976-01-01
Hometown: Timisoara
Country: Romania
Speaks: Romanian, French
Occupation: Chairman of the Romanian Referees' Committee
Hobbies:

Among the many matches Ion Igna took charge of in the 70s and 80s, were the 1988 Euro semi-final and 2 matches in the 1986 World Cup.

1988

In a book about the 1988 European Championships called 1988, we hielden van Oranje (we loved Orange) by Dutch journalist Auke Kok, Ion Igna is described as as tired and slightly injured. At the time the retirement at 45 rule did not excist and Igna just turned 48 when he took charge of the semi-final Germany-Netherlands.


According to Kok, Igna first denied Holland a penalty and then awarded one (to make it up) for a dive by Van Basten. It was a difficult match with more things going on than just football, a whole nation wanted revenge (for the war and the lost 1974 World Cup final). Goalie Van Breukelen shouted abuse at a German player lying on the ground and Ronald Koeman wiped his buttocks with a German shirt after the match.
Afterwards Ion Igna said he wasn't fit and should have let himself be replaced
After the European Championships Igna was (sort of) demoted, his first international match was for the first round of the UEFA Cup, a beginner's match.

since

Since April 2009 Igna is chairman of the Romanian Referees' Committee.

Did you know
CUPS

  • It was alleged that Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, a once powerful Porto president, bribed Ion Igna, offering 50.000 dollar to fix a European Cup winners semi-final Porto - Aberdeen in 1984.
  • When during the 1988 European Championships, UEFA had mistakenly issued Igna and his lines men plane tickets for Stuttgart instead of Hamburg, they dutifully flew to the wrong city. They were only just in time for the match in Hamburg.

    Simon Kuper :football against the enemy
  • It is said that Valentin Ceausescu, the dictator's son, bribed and intimidated referees, in order to protect his team Steaua. Asked about it, Ion Igna, the most important ref in those days, said he only met Valentin once and that he was a gentleman and never asked him for anything.
Statistics
Statistics for IOAN IGNA
Totals Home Away Total
Penalties 2 3 5
Fouls 0 0 0
Yellow 9 11 20
YellowRed 0 0 0
Red 1 0 1
Averages Home Away Total
Penalties 0.05 0.08 0.06
Fouls 0 0 0
Yellow 0.23 0.28 0.26
YellowRed 0 0 0
Red 0.03 0 0.01

Based on 39 international matches

Matches
MATCHES FOR IOAN IGNA
Date Score Yellow Red Penalties Fouls
WC 2018 qualifiers - S. America
4th roundEl-Mokawloon El-ArabHubentut Fortuna2000-11-170 - 0 6 (4-2)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
WC 1990 qualifiers - Europe
CyprusYugolsavia1989-10-281 - 2 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)1 (1-0)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1989 - 1990
2nd roundDynamo KyivBanik Ostrava1989-10-183 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1988 - 1989
2nd roundFirst ViennaTPS Turku1988-10-262 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
1st roundDinamo MinskBotev1988-10-050 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
Euro 1988
1/2 finalsGermany FRNetherlands1988-06-211 - 2 1 (0-1)0 (0-0)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1987 - 1988
3rd roundDortmundClub Brugge1987-11-253 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd roundUtrechtHellas Verona1987-10-211 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
Euro 1988 qualifiers
DenmarkWales1987-10-141 - 0 2 (0-2)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
CyprusNetherlands1986-12-210 - 2 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
BelgiumIreland1986-09-102 - 2 2 (1-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
European Cup 1987 - 1988
1st roundReal MadridNapoli1987-09-162 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1986 - 1987
final (2nd leg)Dundee UnitedGöteborg1987-05-201 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
European Cup2 1986 - 1987
1/4 finalsSionLokomotive Leipzg1987-03-180 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
WC 1986
1/4 finalsBrazilFrance1986-06-211 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
group stageGermany FRScotland1986-06-082 - 1 3 (0-3)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
European Cup2 1985 - 1986
1/2 finalsDukla PragueDynamo Kyiv1986-04-161 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)
friendly
ItalyGermany FR1986-02-051 - 2 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1985 - 1986
3rd roundDniproHajduk1985-11-270 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd roundKöln FCBohemians Prague1985-10-234 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
1st roundAEKReal Madrid1985-09-181 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
WC 1986 qualifiers - Europe
NorwayDenmark1985-10-161 - 5 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
GreeceAlbania1985-02-272 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
WC 1986 qualifiers - Oceania
TaiwanIsrael1985-09-080 - 5 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1984 - 1985
1/2 finalsVideoton FCZeljeznicar1985-04-103 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd roundLinzer ASKDundee United1984-10-241 - 2 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
European Cup2 1984 - 1985
1st roundBesiktasRapid Wien1984-10-031 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
Olympic Games 1984
group stageSaudi Arabia OTGermany FR OT1984-08-030 - 6 2 (2-0)1 (1-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
Euro 1984 qualifiers
GreeceHungary1983-12-032 - 2 1 (0-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
TurkeyAlbania1982-10-271 - 0 2 (1-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
Olympic qualifiers 1984
Israel OTPortugal OT1983-10-301 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1983 - 1984
2nd roundWidzew LodzSparta Prague1983-10-191 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
1st roundRadnicki NisSt Gallen1983-09-143 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1982 - 1983
1st roundValenciaManchester United1982-09-292 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
Euro 1982 u21
1/2 finalsGermany FR u21Soviet Union u211982-04-305 - 0 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1981 - 1982
3rd roundKaiserslauternLokeren1981-12-094 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
WC 1981 u20
1st stageEngland u20Australia u201981-10-081 - 1 1 (1-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
UEFA Cup 1980 - 1981
2nd roundRadnicki NisBeroe1980-11-052 - 1 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
WC 1982 qualifiers - Europe
TurkeyIceland1980-09-241 - 3 0 (0-0)0 (0-0)1 (1-0)0 (0-0)